War Diaries Talk

Cavalry Ranks

  • Poodle by Poodle

    Some of the cavalry ranks are not included in the list of ranks eg Staff Sergeant Farrier, Squadron Sergeant Major. Is it OK to enter rank as nearest available, or put other?

    Also abbreviations in diaries not always clear. So is SS Staff Sergeant or Shoeing Smith?

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  • HeatherC by HeatherC moderator

    I have been putting the nearest equivalent. So for example an SSM is exactly equivalent to a CSM and you should use that. For the S/Sgt Farrier I think I'd use S/Sgt since that's actually his rank (Farrier being his trade) and so it's more representative. We really could do with S/Sgt Farrier in the drop down menu I guess!

    SS as an abbreviation could be either. These days we'd use S/Sgt for staff sergeant but I can't say what they'd have done in those days and it does seem to vary from what I've seen. I think you have to try to guess from the context or from knowing the names already.

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  • Poodle by Poodle in response to HeatherC's comment.

    Thanks for your help Heather. Maybe we should have an alphabetical list of abbreviations somewhere on the site? Would a cavalry man have wanted to be given an infantry rank? A guardsman wouldn't want to be called private. Until more cavalry ranks are added to the drop down list, I'll continue to put the nearest equivalent.

    Just reading about the Cavalry in Richard Holmes' "Tommy". How sad that he isn't around for the centenary.

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  • marie.eklidvirginmedia.com by marie.eklidvirginmedia.com

    Just reading this book 'Tommy' as well. Lots of reading in it! Just finished a book called "Lest We Forget" - Forgotten voices from 1914-1915 - by Max Arthur. Some of the stories very, very sad. Lots of books in the libraries now about WW1. I'm working my way through them.

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  • David_Underdown by David_Underdown moderator

    The rank of guardsman was actually only introduced after the war (ditto trooper in line cavalry regiments I understand). Rifleman was commonly used for those in rifle regiments, but I'm not sure how official it actually was.

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  • HeatherC by HeatherC moderator in response to David_Underdown's comment.

    Judging by the fact that my Great Uncle who was a private soldier in KRRC (and was killed in 1918) is referred to as Pte Miller thorughout his records, it wasn't "offically" very common David!

    There's a question been asked twice now on a page from 1st Royal Dragoons about a rank given as S.S.M.R.R. I haven't a clue - has anyone else?

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  • Poodle by Poodle in response to HeatherC's comment.

    Is SSMRR Squadron Sergeant Major Reserve Regiment? RR of Cav is sometimes used on WW1 Medal Cards

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  • Poodle by Poodle in response to HeatherC's comment.

    Just found a reference to a Rough Riding Sergeant Major in the 19th Hussars Diary, could this be SSMRR?

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  • bootnecksbs by bootnecksbs in response to Poodle's comment.

    Hi @Poodle,

    Your assumption is spot on SSMRR is indeed for Squadron Sergeant Major Rough Rider who's job was to break-in new horses and recruits as well as being a riding instructor.

    His Rank Badge/Emblem was a Crown over a second type large rowelled spur. (in case you didn't know, a rowelled spur means the end of the spur has a toothed wheel which spins)

    Hope this helps.

    Happy Tagging, Max

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  • Poodle by Poodle in response to bootnecksbs's comment.

    Thanks for the information Max.

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  • bootnecksbs by bootnecksbs in response to Poodle's comment.

    Glad I could help.

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  • HeatherC by HeatherC moderator

    Good find Max - I hadn't heard of this one before. 😃

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  • bje by bje

    I'm struggling with cavalry ranks at the moment. 1914-1918.net has helped me sort one or two but I've had to make educated?? guesses for most. There was an earlier suggestion about having a list of equivalents - was anything done about this?

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  • bje by bje

    Following on from my last post - I've just come up with Farrier Major. I'm guessing I can't just leave off the farrier and call him a major, would the equivalent be a sergeant major?

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  • HeatherC by HeatherC moderator

    I've found that looking at the current rank structure for the household cavalry can sometimes give you an insight into these odd WW1 cavalry ranks. Link here http://householdcavalry.info/hcranks.html

    There is a rank called Farrier Corporal Major (equivalent to WO2 - and I think you will have to put Sergeant Major as our nearest equivalent) and it may be that "Farrier Major" is a shortened version of this. Certainly if I'm looking at the right page your man was replaced by a FQMS (you'll have to put quartermaster sergeant for this I think) so it was an NCO/WO rank not an officer one.

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